There's so much happening in politics right now.

So red wine and blue is here to ask, okay, but why?

You know, one of the things that we hear so often, especially from traditional media,

is that people are isolated and, you know, and people aren't gathering together.

And I always say, right out loud, not just under my breath, that's because you're not in the right places.

This year has been rough.

For many Americans, our anxiety was already high after a stressful election season, rising prices, book bans, the fall of Roe v. Wade, and a pandemic

that wasn't that long ago, not to mention caregiving for our children, elderly parents, or both.

Now, with political chaos at an all-time high, many people say they can hardly bear to even

look at the news. In Red Wine and

Blue's Facebook group Sweep, we ran a poll and more than half of women say their mental health

is hanging on by a thread. Political chaos is sapping my life force, one member told us. Another said

she's finding that normal activities feel wrong

or out of place, even activities that are supposed to make her feel better. If your house was on fire,

she said, would you run out and get a pedicure? Many women are having trouble sleeping, and one even

said that she had a full nervous breakdown after the election

and is still recovering. We're worried about so many things, about Medicare and Social Security,

climate change, attacks on voting rights and minority groups, and about our neighbors or friends

being deported. And we are definitely worried about our kids.

In 2024, nearly 60 million Americans struggled with their mental health, with increases

in conditions like anxiety and depression.

And a 2024 study from the American Psychological Association found that over 70% of adults consider the country's

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